The witches are back, the curse is still cursing, and apparently nobody learned a damn thing from the first movie! 🧙‍♀️✨ This week on Romance at a Glance, Bridget and Shani dive into Practical Magic 2 and Alice Hoffman's The Book of Magic—a book neither of us could bring ourselves to finish. We're talking wasted characters, missing love stories, questionable plot decisions, Hollywood's obsession with freezing faces in time, and why on earth you'd leave your sister behind when there's a magical adventure to be had. Plus, Shani enters her love era, we debate whether the sequel outshines the original, and somehow A...

Grab your midnight margaritas, ladies, because this week on Romance at a Glance, Bridget and Shani are getting witchy with Alice Hoffman's Practical Magic and its cult-classic film adaptation! We're talking generational curses, questionable taste in men, sisterhood, accidental murder, and why hiding a dead body might actually be the ultimate sibling bonding experience. But does the book cast a spell, or is it just 300 pages of describing the garden? And how did Sandra Bullock, Nicole Kidman, and a little Hollywood magic manage to make the movie more enchanting than the source material? We're breaking down everything the filmmakers...

Hosts Bridget and Shani return from hiatus for a season focused on romance adaptations, outlining upcoming titles and inviting 2026 adaptation requests. They review Ali Hazelwood’s standalone contemporary romance The Love Hypothesis (fake dating, grumpy/sunshine), discuss audiobook narration by Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton, and note a tonal shift when a harassment “villain” plotline appears late. They rate Olive 3/5, Adam 3/5 (Bridget 4/5), describe the spice as “classy” with limited on-page sex, and give the book 3/5. They then review the film adaptation (directed by Claire Scanlon; written by Sarah Rothschild; starring Lily Reinhart and Tom Bateman), calling it unfaithful and criticizin...

In this episode of Romance at a Glance, hosts Bridget and Shani interview Bianca Gillam, debut author of Bad Publicity, which follows senior book publicist Andy and her tumultuous, enemy-to-lovers relationship with author Jack Carlson. The discussion dives into Bianca's transition from romance editor to author, the challenges of separating the editorial voice while writing, and the process of making her protagonist competent in her job. The novel also touches on themes of grief, and Bianca shares how her own experiences with loss influenced the book. The episode wraps up with a sneak peek into Bianca's upcoming project, 'Off...

In this episode of Romance at a Glance, hosts Bridget and Shani tackle the alarming issue of book bans alongside guest Sabrina Baêta, Senior Program Manager of Freedom to Read at PEN America. The episode delves into the growing incidence of book bans in K-12 public schools, with a particular focus on romance novels and LGBTQIA+ literature.

The hosts discuss the motivations behind these bans, which often target minority communities and aim to censor literature that addresses sexual experiences, violence, and abuse.

Sabrina shares alarming statistics about the books being banned and the increasing t...

We had the absolute pleasure of interviewing historial romance author Eloisa James this week! Her latest book Hardly a Gentleman is out now.

By day she's a fancy Professor at Fordham University, and by night she's an even fancier historical romance lead author!

We chatted all about her very impressive educational background, creating heros you love and heroines you want to be your best friend, how she writes and researches her stories, how to stay engaged in new stories and banter after writing so long and more.

Bridget surprised Shani with this interview...

In this episode of Romance at a Glance, Bridget interviews Emma Tonner, the Executive Producer at GalateaTV and Chief Innovation Officer at Inkitt. Emma shares insights into how Inkitt leverages AI and data-driven algorithms to turn unknown stories into blockbusters. She discusses the creation and success of Inkitt’s app Galatea, which produces million-dollar ebooks and now converts them into TV series on GalateaTV.

The conversation also covers the process of using AB testing, predictive algorithms, and user engagement to craft compelling stories. Additionally, Emma details their approach to producing vertical video content, their innovative methods to ke...

Pre-order RDM (about Foster Blake!): Get the audiobook + e-book for less than the price of an Audible credit!

Finding Lord Landry by Lucy Lennox - on KU and Audible! Out now :)

Romance author Lucy Lennox is back on Romance at a Glance, and she’s bringing spicy billionaire boyfriends, chicken palaces, and a Pride and Prejudice variation addiction that puts most Janeites to shame. We chat cruises (too cool for us), Try by Ella Frank (hello awakening), and why the Hero’s Journey says your MC better save a cat before getting squirrelly.

Lucy...

Bridget and Shani hang out with bookstagrammer Amanda from @AmandasBookClub_, and things immediately go off the rails in the best way possible. Amanda, a self-proclaimed “dummy reader”, aka here for a good time, not a grammar check, is deep in her fantasy romance era—dragons, vampires, Omegaverse, you name it.

The trio dives into book club disasters (Viola Davis’ biography? Not the smut they signed up for), romance tropes that own their souls, and The Summer I Turned Pretty drama (Belly is the problem, actually). Also on the table: Loch Ness Monster smut, an absurd amount of orc fluid...

Enjoy this episode with a delightful guest-host Tre, our new friend from bookstagram, who is here to talk about Kimberly Lemming's latest release, I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com! Tre loves monster romances, and like many of us, discovered Kimberly's books with That Time I Got Drunk and Saved A Demon.

Things we loved about this book:

Dive into the hilarious world of alien romance! We made new best friends with our incredibly funny new friend and the author of I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com, Kimberly Lemming!

What follows is a riveting discussion with hosts Bridget and Shani gushing over Kimberly Lemming, delving into her latest literary creation, "I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I'm Trapped in a Rom-Com", book 1 of her new series Cosmic Chaos, and making alien/fantasy romance fun!

Synopsis: A hilarious and sexy romance about a woman who gets dropped...

Welcome to Feb episode of Raag on Romance where Shani and Bridget chat about all things romance and podcast each month!

This week Shani reminisced about her older sister reading to her as a kid, how Bridget's kids get a huge haul of books from the library every week, and how Bridget is raising a little reader!

Shani and Bridget talk about the feeling of reading physical books vs Kindle vs audiobooks. And how Shani wants to find the first romance novel she ever read.

Bridget shares all the books she read in...

It's 2025 and we're starting the year with a Billionaire romance! Manifestation anyone?

We chose Love Redesigned by Lauren Asher. This is book 1 of the new Lakefront Billionaires series. Bridget previously read Asher's Dreamland Billionaires series and enjoyed it, so we thought we were safe choosing her new series.

HOW WRONG WE WERE!

Not only was this book marketed as a childhood enemies-to-lovers, when it is, in fact, a second-chance romance (not our cup of tea), but it was wayyyyyy too long! Like a solid 100-200 pages too long!

We get into...

Happy New Year, dear listeners and friends! We've got a sizzling podcast discussing Bridget's book obsession, Shani's K-drama addiction, and the hottest 2025 releases that have us drooling. Don't miss out on the fun! Tune in now and join the excitement.

Books Bridget binged:
Better Than Before and Betting on You by Lynn Painter
Fangirl Down and The Au Pair Affair by Tessa Bailey
The entire Cooper County series by May Archer
The entire Billionaire Brotherhood series by Lucy Lennox

📅 2025 releases we can't wait for:

❄️January
💓 Quicksilver by Callie Hart **alr...

The Holidate by Lauren Blakely

When two charmingly single strangers agree to swap cities for the holidays, they get way more than they bargained for! Enter Candice, a savvy businesswoman, and Jackson, a down-to-earth chef, whose arrangement to avoid holiday drama leads to accidental chemistry, heartwarming antics, and some truly swoon-worthy moments. Packed with humor, charm, and holiday magic, this sensible yet slightly overlong rom-com will have you laughing, sighing, and wishing it trimmed a few pages—but hey, it’s a festive feast of feels that’s worth the read! 🎄✨

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Affiliates! Get a discount...

Book Recs

Under Lock And Key: A Water Witch Cozy Mystery - Book One (Water Witch Cozy Paranormal Mystery Series 1 by Lana Ferguson

Protecting Mr. Fine - Billionaire Brotherhood Book 4 - by Lucy Lennox

We read Zoey Draven's Taken by the Horde King this week and we definitely needed a quick refresher on the world-building!

It's been a hot minute since we were on the planet with the Hordes but they have been missed. There is nothing quite like an alien romance to cleanse your reading pallet, and your smutty soul.

Come with us as we dip our toes into a mysterious red mist threatening the planet, a magical human woman who can control it because... Plot reasons, a fated mate, a dark evil, and some serious trauma. This...

While Shani is out, Bridget will play... with guest hosts! Thank you to Zoranne for coming on the podcast to be a guest host for our review of Her Soul to Take by Harley LaRoux! 

Zoranne and Bridget got along like a house on fire and had a great time talking forked tongues, "dumb-bitch-itis", and what we would have done in this scenario! Check out our ratings for the MCs, book overall, and general deep dive... at a glance of course!

You can follow Zoranne on IG and TikTok and get great reviews on fantasy, S...

We Read This Terrible Book So You Don’t Have To: A Review of Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger

Rarely do books leave you feeling this bewildered. Pen Pal by J.T. Geissinger tries to be an edgy, dark romance but ends up being a chaotic blend of clichés, forced angst, and questionable plot twists. Right from the start, it’s clear that something doesn’t quite add up — and unfortunately, that vibe never improves.

The premise is interesting enough: a grieving widow starts receiving letters from an anonymous admirer, and their correspondence quickly b...

In a super fun chat with romance author Rosie Danan, she shared a bit about her writing journey, and honestly, it was like catching up with a friend over coffee! Rosie talked about how living in England sparked some new ideas for her stories, but also how the pandemic really shaped her latest book. She said there's a big theme of losing control in it, which totally reflects how she felt during that time—relatable, right?

We also got into how she’s always trying to up the "sexy" in her books by adding fresh, unexpected elements. She...

It's time to RAAG on Romance my friends and see what we have been watching, reading, and loving this  month! 

Movie and TV news we chatted about! 

Books Bridget read this month and loved:

Try a FREE 3 sample pack of Magic Mind here:https://magicmind.com/romanceataglancetrial

We're dipping into the dark to start this fall and we couldn't be happier to be dabbling in the dark again! We're reviewing Depraved by Trilina Lucci and the cover and description had us ready for some delicious dark mobster romance. What we got... was not that! 

As per usual Bridget has some thoughts and feelings about the book, Shani tells a funny story about renovating a house out of state, we debate what makes it a dark romance, and why this b...

Book Review: Spices & Demons - A Quirky Rom-Com Fantasy You Can't Miss

That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon ⁠- By:  Kimberly Lemming ⁠

If you're a fan of quirky rom-com fantasy novels, you won't want to miss Spices & Demons. This new release is perfect for readers who loved Legends & Lattes and The Dragon's Bride.

Synopsis of Spices & Demons

Cinnamon, a spice trader, dreams of a quiet life. She wants to adopt a cat and expand her family’s spice farm. But her plans are thrown into chaos when she saves a...

Tessa Dare is a goddess of historical romances!!! This book is quirky, lusty, hilarious, and charming AF.

Trigger Warning- Grooming / child molestation in the heroine's past

Friends, this historical season is doing us right. Tessa Dare delivered and we had a great time meeting her at the panel last fall. This episode was recorded PRE Corona - so enjoy a nostalgic time when we could wander the streets of Target and in general leave the house with no fear. 

Things we discuss in the book: 

Y'all we have an excellent interview and conversation for you today on the podcast with author B.K. Borison.  Her new book, Business Casual, book 4 of the Lovelight Farms series, is out now (!) and is a lovely, cozy, sweet contemporary romance. 

We chatted about her journey from writing book number 1 of the series as an indie author, to completing the series as a traditional author with  Berkeley.

B.K. was open with us about how bittersweet the end of this series is for her, how quickly her life as a writer changed over the last thr...

Bridget's favorite book in season 3! You guys this book is everything we wanted a summer quickie to be! Fun, sexy, charming, complex yet quick to read, and with hot, hot sex scenes. 

Shani took the week off (no audiobook on this one), so we had a wonderful guest host, Ann! Ann is Bridget’s older sister and was the first person to give her a romance novel. Since then they have read aloud dozens of novels on cross-country road trips and loved to squeal over the feels and the sex scenes alike. Enjoy their hilarious sisterly banter and...

We have now chatted about part 1 of S3 and how we feel it missed the mark. We went in to part 2 with low expectations and did notttt feel like the season rose to the mark!

We chat 

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Affiliates! Ge...

This interview is NSFW kids, so buckle the fuck up! Avril Ashton is an indie author who writes super dark, super hot twisted dark romances, many of them MM! We got super into allll the dark and taboo elements of these books, including how to have your MCs come back from torturing each other! Avril was a dream guest and was so forthright and funny. We got into it!! Plus she gave some excellent writing tips and showed her own work tons of love which we absolutely loved. 

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Avril has a bunch of books on K...

HOT DAMN!!!! We thought the Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang was going to be a fun, romantic jaunt, but in reality, it is a sexy, sexy thrill ride.

Hear us as we wax poetic about our this pairing and the mixture of absolute dynamite sex scenes, with sweet sweet romance.

Stella has Asperger's and French kissing reminds her of a shark getting its teeth cleaned by pilot fish. Her conclusion: she needs lots of practice — with a professional. Which is why she hires escort Michael Phan. The Vietnamese and Swedish stunner can't afford to turn do...

Enjoy our interview with Pepper Winters. This was one of our first international interviews, and she was a delight. 

Dark romance author Pepper Winters is here today to talk about us about tiny horses!! And also writing romance novels with lots of taboo. 

Pepper is the author of Goddess Isles and Dollar Series and Tears of Tess, which we covered earlier this season, and in this episode, she breaks down taboos and shares with us her creative writing process. She gives useful advice for authors on how to stick to their creative process, diving deep into...

In Season 3 of "Bridgerton" on Netflix, the series continues to follow the romantic escapades of the Bridgerton family. This season focuses on the third eldest sibling, Benedict Bridgerton, and his quest for love and self-discovery. Amidst London's high society, Benedict grapples with his artistic ambitions and the pressures of finding a suitable match. His journey intertwines with the arrival of a mysterious newcomer who challenges societal norms and captures his heart. Meanwhile, Lady Whistledown's scandalous gossip keeps everyone on edge, revealing secrets that threaten reputations. Eloise Bridgerton's rebellious spirit leads her into unexpected alliances, and Penelope Featherington's unrequited love...

Scarlett Peckham interview was a delight if you missed it! 

If you already listened to our review of The Duke I Tempted, the first book in this series, you may already be guessing that we are loving this author and series. Shani loves nothing more than some historical romance and some excellently written nitty gritty and Bridget was here for the quippy dialogue, strong heroine, unrequited love on both sides, and of course, the nookie.

Listen as we laugh over some of the best moments in the book and talk about some of our ideas a...

Katee Robert, as always, has the magic touch. 

Join us as we dive into our trope season, ready to go with a super steamy one right off the bat! Bridget and Shani are excited to get into the dad trope with a kinky tale of revenge and taboo romance. They talk about this “masturbators’ masterpiece,” sexy mind games, first crushes, and, of course, daddy kinks. Who could do it better than Katee? 

This season is just getting started and we've got plenty of surprises in store. 

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Read Your Dad Will Do by Katee...

Dear gentle listeners it's been a while, but we are back in Julia Quinn's Bridgerton world. We decided before season 3 of the Netflix Bridgerton show aired, we would read Romancing Mr. Bridgerton. Well, color us surprised to realize this was NOT our favorite Bridgerton book! 

Bridget went on about 20 rants during this episode and we posited some thoughts about what we thought would happen in S3 of the Netflix series! 

You can listen to our review of Book 1 here. 

We had the delightful pleasure of interviewing Julia Quinn a few years ago and you...

In honor of Katee Roberts' latest release, Blood on the Crimson Tide, let's take a stroll down memory lane to our wonderful interview with Katee! 

A queen of smut is in the house today! We're so excited to have Katee Robert on. She's quickly becoming one of Bridget's favorite romance authors and her books are beyond steamy!

We had a wonderful time getting to know Katee, talking about how she's able to write such a huge volume of words per month, ways she keeps organized, her Patreon community, going from traditional publishing to self-publishing, her g...

The Bridgerton review continues! Anthony can still get it. 

We’re back with part 2 of our Bridgerton review and we are raring to go. We talk about the upcoming Bridgerton prequel, Penelope’s future, “My Lord” vs. “Daddy”, predictions for future seasons, THE MOM SCENE, and the questionable editing choices. There’s also much to get into with the, maybe too slow, slow burn? Though we may or may not giggle when it comes to Lord Bridgerton. He could get it regardless. Don’t even get us started on what he COULD have been doing in that bathtub scene.

Spoilers ahead. Rerelease of our review of Bridgerton Season 2 - episodes 1-4. 

Bridgerton season 2 is OUT, Shani is BACK...let's get it poppin' 

People have been going CRAZY for Kate and Anthony, and we’ve been on the Bridgerton boat for quite some time, so it’s time to discuss. First on the list: sex scenes and the lack thereof. We go through chemistry vs relationship between Kate and Anthony, wardrobe choices, soundtrack, the Edwina vs Kate debacle, season 2 glow-ups, and Anthony’s MAJOR sex appeal this season. Oh, also - Eloise’s future husband?? We’re gonn...

Rerelease of our review of the Duke and I by Julia Quinn! If you didn't catch our interview with Julia Quinn you can listen  here.

Shani was so excited to introduce Bridget to more historicals and the lovely land of the lauded Bridgerton family!  

You guys there were so many people who DID NOT like one of the main plot points of this book and we thoroughly discussed all of the good, funny, corny, quirky elements of this book, as well as the few areas we were like, NO!! 

It was fun to dip...

This interview took place in September before the date and trailer were dropped for S1 of Bridgerton on Netflix. It was released in October, 2 months before the fervor began. Enjoy! We certainly did, and a big shout out to Julia for sending us signed copies of her books :) What a delight.

Shani was losing her ever-loving mind before this interview because Julia Quinn is one of her favorite authors of all time, we reviewed The Duke and I on the podcast, and she gave a great interview!

This interview was so wonderful, and Julia was...

We are so excited to have our first-ever repeat interview with the delightful, Evie Dunmore! Not only is she such a smokeshow (sorry Evie it had to be said!), but her debut novel, Bringing Down the Duke, was one of our favorite books so far on the podcast. And it felt so poetic to have her back for the 4th and final book in the series, The Gentleman's Gambit. 

If you missed our first Evie interview, check it out here! 

Some major highlights: